BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Authorities responding to a house fire Wednesday in Bethlehem discovered a woman had died at the scene.
It marked the second fatal fire in the city in less than a week.
The Northampton County Coroner's Office identified the victim as 56-year-old Ladell Christie, who resided there. Her cause and manner of death are pending completion of the investigation, said Coroner Zachary Lysek.
According to a release from Deputy Fire Chief Craig Baer, firefighters were dispatched to a home in the 900 block of Broadway at approximately 1:04 a.m.
Upon arrival, crews made a rescue from a third-floor window, but the victim was determined to be deceased at the scene.
No other injuries were reported, Baer said in the release.
The scene remained active around 8 a.m. Wednesday, with a fire hose running out the front door of the home — a twin structure at the intersection of Broadway and North Bishopthorpe Street.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Bethlehem Fire Department, the Bethlehem Police Department and the Northampton County Coroner’s Office.
Fire followed Friday incident
Wednesday’s fatal fire came hours after veteran city firefighter Michael Reich was confirmed by Bethlehem City Council as the new fire chief. His formal swearing-in is scheduled for later Wednesday morning.
It also came just five days after first responders found one person had died following a separate house fire.
City firefighters responded Friday, May 17, to assist city paramedics at a dispatch on Johnston Drive.
“Upon arrival, it was determined a fire had occurred at a previous time and there was one fatality,” a release from Baer stated at the time.
The Northampton County Coroner's Office identified that victim as 77-year-old Joseph R. Koch. The cause and manner of death are pending, according to the coroner's office.
The cause of that fire also remains under investigation.
